The proliferation of digital, broadband network access has given rise to various technologies for the delivery of a wide variety of media content. Such technologies include proprietary set top boxes that operate over closed networks, such as those operated by cable companies, to receive and decode digital and/or analog content for display on television sets. Other technologies include portable media devices and software media players. Software media players typically operate over open networks such as the Internet to receive and decode digital content for display on display devices attached to computing systems such as desktop computers, laptops, or mobile phones. Portable media devices can store and display or play digital content obtained from a host computing system.
The set top box model of media distribution suffers from a variety of shortcomings. First, set top boxes typically operate on closed networks. That is, the consumer is limited to the media selections provided by the owner of the network, generally a cable company. The consumer is therefore faced with monopoly pricing for limited choices of media content. In addition, the set top box model of content distribution is inherently unidirectional and consumption-based. That is, consumers are passive in their consumption, with their only interaction being to choose from one of the various offerings selected by the operator of the network. Consumers are generally not able to utilize the set top box for interacting meaningful way, such as by sharing their own content and/or providing reviews and/or ratings for media they have accessed.
The software media player model of media distribution also suffers from multiple shortcomings. First, as with set top boxes, users assume a passive role in the consumption of media content. Users may select from a number of media offerings, but have little or no ability to provide meaningful feedback or perform other interactions related to the media they consume. If users wish to interact in such ways, they must often resort to other software systems (e.g., Web browsers) that may not be well integrated with the particular media player they are using. In addition, standards wars between proponents of various media distribution standards have resulted in a fractured marketplace of often-incompatible media players. In some cases, users must install several media players in order to access media content that is provided in various, incompatible standards.
In addition, the portable media device model of distribution suffers from various shortcomings. First, portable media devices do not typically provide direct access to streaming content over broadband connections. Instead, they rely on host computing systems, such as desktop personal computers, to download music and/or video from content sources for further transfer to the portable media device. As such, when a portable media device is disconnected from its host system, the selection of content it provides to its user is effectively static. In addition, due to the intermediation of the host computing system, users are faced with the task of learning to use an additional software system on the host computing system for building and managing a media library that exists for the primary purpose of providing content to the portable media device.
Furthermore, the problem of non-uniformity cuts across the various approaches to media distribution. Modern households have numerous devices that may be used to consume media in one form or another, including personal computers, laptop computers, personal digital assistants, cellular telephones, and televisions. However, in order to consume media, users must learn to utilize a specialized interface for each device, sometimes at considerable cost of time, money, and/or frustration. There does not exist a single, uniform interface that a user can utilize in order to operate all of these devices in order to consume and interact with media content in a meaningful, truly interactive manner.